Norway, the name alone piques the interest. For sure, an amazing and mesmerizing country, with untamed nature and few people, it is a place to stir the soul and calm the spirit. The panoramas abounds with awe inspiring scenery – fjords, glaciers and wild landscapes. It’s a wonderful destination for exploring by bike but a little different to our other European tours so we like to explain a bit about what it is like to go cycling there!
First of all: this is not typical of our regular bike tours The region we visit certainly offers nice rides, but we will not be on designated cycle paths a lot. Most of the time, we cycle on quiet country roads, and cars are around occasionally. We also go through some tunnels, where we need our light. Those tunnels are very quiet though. The road is never flat; always some ups and downs. This trip will have five days of cycling, and we have put a lot of emphasis on the touristic highlights of the region. So although we will not cycle there, we include Bergen and Flam and end at the top of the Flam Bahn in a lovely Mountain Inn. Oh, and some lovely cruising through very special narrow fjords as well! It is, for sure, a very special way to see the region and much better than joining the super big cruise ships that visit some ports.
So we look upon this offer as a combination of a cycle trip and a touristic trip, to get the most out of our nine days.
Another big difference is the lack of abundant cafes or restaurants to take a break. Norway does not have many local cafes, bars or restaurants. At least not outside of the bigger tourist places like Bergen and Flam. So we carry along our picnic and try to find a toilet here and there. So no big cakes, cappuccinos and the like while we are cycling. It is quiet, unique and peaceful.
The hotels are a collection of grand hotels, like the one in Balestrand (Kviknes) or the one in Bergen, the Havnekontoret (former Harbour House), boutique hotels like the Fjaerland hotel and touristic basic hotels like the Blix Hotel in Vic. All your dinners are included, because most of the time there are not other options nearby, but the meals are all good, and some are even outstanding!
Norway is very expensive, and loving a good glass of wine will cost. We have not included a drink with the dinners, except for dinner in the first week at the Walaker Hotel, which we had to book.
Is this the best cycle trip we offer? No, to be clear, if you judge it on cycling, we have better options. But it is such a great area to go to, and isn’t it much nicer than being on a big cruise ship with limited “shore excursions” or on a touring car? So IF you are determined to visit Norway, we think we offer a great way to do so!
The weather is the final thing you need to be aware of. It can be anything. Literally. For a whole week or a whole day. Cold, rain, drizzle, wind…..it can happen and affect the whole experience,
We strongly advise considering combining this trip with another week. One of the suggestions we are investigating is to go on a cruise from Kirkenes, in the far north of Norway, along the coast, with Havila tours. You can book excursions, to go and visit highlights and return to another port. The ship visits loads of ports. It is definitely on our own TO-DO list!
This Havila company is competing with the Hurtigruten company, which has been offering cruises along all coast ports as a postal ship for decades. Havila has built ships, especially for this route. You could sail from Bergen to Kirkenes (the furthest point in the north, next to the Russian border). And fly home from there. Or you fly into Kirkenes and start sailing to Bergen from there. If you like to know more, let us know!
We are talking with the company to get reservations and prices.
